It is often desirable for a user of an electronic device, such as, for example, a cellular telephone, portable digital assistant (PDA), personal computer (PC), laptop, or tablet, to have the ability to download various media objects from a network (e.g., a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wireless LAN (WLAN), or a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)). Examples of media objects that could be downloaded and used by the electronic device include ringtones, images, music or video files, and applications.
In many instances it would be desirable for the user to be able to “pre-download” the media objects. In other words, the user could download one or more media objects from a server on the network and then wait to decide whether or not to consume (e.g., install, play, or save to) each pre-downloaded media object at some later point in time. The pre-downloading of media objects (and, in fact, any downloading of the media object whether immediately prior to consumption or at some earlier point in time) often involves the use of an application residing on the electronic device that is responsible for downloading and consuming the media objects. This entity is referred to herein as a Download Agent.
For example, the Download Agent may download one or more media objects to the electronic device from a Download Server, with the media objects to be installed, or otherwise consumed, by the user of the electronic device at some later point in time. The Download Agent my further notify the Download Server (or, more generally, the network entity from which the media object was downloaded) when each media object has been successfully downloaded. If and when the user decides that he or she would like to consume (e.g., install) the media object previously downloaded, the Download Agent will perform the steps necessary for consumption (in this example installation), and thereafter may inform the Download Server that the media object has been successfully installed. Installation is complete when the media object has been prepared for execution/rending on the electronic device. Following installation, the media object is then available to the user on the device.
One advantage to the pre-downloading of media objects is that once a user decides that he or she wishes to consume one or more media objects, the user is able to do so immediately. Since the media objects are already downloaded, the user need not wait until downloading is complete to consume the media object. Another advantage is that by notifying the Download Server of successful downloads and consumptions, the Download Server can be aware of not only what media objects are downloaded, but also which of the downloaded media objects are successfully consumed by the user.
Before a media object can be downloaded to a device, and, more particularly, before a previously downloaded media object can be consumed, a Download Descriptor associated with the media object must be made available to the Download Agent. The Download Descriptor may, for example, be retrieved from the Download Server by browsing a website. Alternatively, or in addition, the electronic device hosting the Download Agent may support the reception of the Download Descriptor by way of, for example, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), email, or some other instant messaging protocol.
The information in the Download Descriptor, which contains metadata relative to the particular media object associated with it, may be used, for example, by the Download Agent to initially verify that the electronic device is capable of using and/or rendering the media object with which the Download Descriptor is associated (e.g., to verify that the electronic device has sufficient memory based on the size and type of the media object). The Download Descriptor may further include the scheme that should be used by the Download Agent to download the media object, as well as instructions to send a Download Complete Notification to the Download Server once the media object is successfully downloaded. A user can also use the information in the Download Descriptor to confirm (or decide) that he or she wants to install, or otherwise consume, the media object. For this purpose, the Download Descriptor may include information such as the name, vendor, size, type, description and download time of the media object. The Download Descriptor may further include an instruction to send an Installation Complete Notification to the Download Server once the media object has been successfully installed.
In the case of pre-downloading media objects, wherein a period of time passes between when the media object is downloaded to the electronic device and when the user actually consumes the media object, it is important that the Download Descriptors associated with respective media objects be stored and bound to the respective media object at least until consumption occurs. Currently, there is no means by which Download Descriptors can be stored alongside their respective pre-downloaded media object between the time when the media object is downloaded and when it is first accessed or consumed (e.g., installed).
A need, therefore, exists for a means by which one or more Download Descriptors associated with respective media objects, which have been pre-downloaded, can be tied to their respective media objects during the period of time between download and consumption, and wherein the Download Descriptors can be readily accessed by a Download Agent, or other application, for the purposes of consumption.